A Series Of Conversations
by TamariChan
Summary: If anyone can stay out of the law's clutches, it will be them. Who better? Written for MPP prompt #64. Set in next generation Tortall, no true pairings.


Blame the epic plot bunny in my head for this AU. –sigh- I guess a short little collection of scenes is better for my hands and my other stories than the 80-chapter that my characters were demanding.

_A Series Of Conversations_

Prompt #64- The One That Got Away

-:-

Cursing, she whirled, her back to the newly built wall at the end of the alley. It was her fault for not scouting the area out, but there was no time to reflect on her failure as the men advanced.

"I thought I told you to stay out of my city," she said, struggling to keep her cool. Her hazel eyes darted between the two men.

"And we told ye we don't listen to wenches," the taller one spat.

"You do when a wench is Rogue!"

"Ye ain't no Rogue of ours," the other advanced on her, a mocking smile showing his rotted teeth.

"You're making a mistake," she warned. The short man lunged for her.

She ducked and turned, dodging nimbly between the two men and drawing her belt dagger. The short one lost his balance and fell. She made sure to step hard on his arm and was rewarded by a crack and a scream. One down.

The tall man had frozen. She danced in and slashed his arm. Roaring, he leaped right into her hastily drawn second knife. He choked and fell to the ground.

She spat. Good riddance. Those who defied orders were worthless in her Court anyway.

-:-

"You all right, Anne?"

She took the back entrance to the Dancing Dove, only to find two women standing in the hallway, waiting for her with concerned faces.

"Fine," Anne shrugged. "The Benson boys were making trouble."

"Will they be making trouble again?" asked the woman on the left. She was slightly taller than Anne with a slight build. Her long black hair was pinned up in a practical style often worn by common-born women and her blue eyes were bright and shrewd.

"No," Anne said shortly. "How did the work go?" She looked pointedly at the woman on the right, who tossed her dark braid behind her shoulder with a huff.

"Don't you trust us, darling?" she drawled. At Anne's raised eyebrows, she rolled her eyes. "It went off perfectly, of course. They got the letter, they didn't see us, it's all taken care of. See, we're big girls too."

"Good," Anne said, ignoring the sarcastic comments. "Lee, can you round up my reports? I've heard some rumors and need to see what's going on."

The black-haired woman left the hallway and Anne turned to the brunette.

"Mina, how did it really go?"

"Fine," Mina insisted. "No, really. If the Whisper Man didn't detect us, no green knight will. Like I said, we know what we're doing."

"It's not that I don't trust you," Anne said. "I just… I'm worried."

"Our great and almighty Rogue is worried!" gasped Mina, suppressing a smile. "Corus has gone mad!"

Anne laughed and clapped Mina on the back.

"No, it's just you."

-:-

"What are you doing here?" he whispered fiercely. "I told you not to come!"

"Since when do I do what I'm told?" Anne said wryly. "I made a deal, Swiftknife," she added, her voice turning serious.

"A deal?"

"Salem... You're getting out of here tomorrow."

"What! What kind of deal- how in Mithros' name did you do it?" He gaped at her.

"It's not your problem. I couldn't let you die. I did what I had to do," she said.

Salem shook his head at her. "Such a saint."

Laughing, she poked him through the bars. "It's purely self-interest. I need you to keep me humble. I need you to make me laugh," her smile fell slightly at her words but she shook herself.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

-:-

"Bring in the prisoner."

Anne walked through the door, chains clanking and clattering and banging behind her, followed by a team of guards. She held her head high- she would not cry, she was Rogue, Mithros curse it, and all of Corus feared her (as they should).

"Anne Crope, known as Queen Anne of the Rogue among thieves and criminals?"

She snarled and didn't answer the sneering man. Behind her, a palace guard kicked her hard in the back of the knees. She stifled a yelp and nodded slightly.

"Dungeons," said the head guard coolly. "Trial on Tuesday. Good work, boys."

-:-

"Anne!"

"I told you not to come," she hissed, feeling an intense déjà vu (a Gallan word meaning something that feels like it's already been experienced).

"We needed to see you," Lee said.

"We're not stupid," Mina added tartly. "We know you, Anne. If you didn't want to be caught, you wouldn't've been. What's going on?"

"Remember the letters?"

"Yes," Lee said hesitantly.

"They were about this. I needed Salem out of the noose, so I made a trade."

"What?" yelped Mina. Lee shushed the other woman and shook her head at Anne.

"Why?"

"It's been long enough," Anne said slowly, watching the two girls carefully.

"You don't mean?" Lee said with a sharp inhale.

"I do."

-:-

"You are accused of multiple counts of murder, theft, arson, fraud, harboring criminals, and rape. How do you plead?"

"I have never raped anyone," she protested.

"Guilty to the others, then?"

Anne huffed. "Yes. All to keep my country safe, of course," she put in sarcastically. "You know me- loyal unto death."

The magistrate was not amused. "Death it shall be, then. Guards!"

She gave the magistrate a rude gesture as she left, ignoring the outcry and smiling slightly to herself.

The plan had worked perfectly.

-:-

She climbed the stone steps. Guards followed her, but she wasn't even tied up.

They'd learn their lesson soon enough, but she'd be long gone by then.

"Anne Crope of the Lower City, sentenced to death by hanging, for the crimes of…" droned the herald. At a glare from a guard, she put her proud head through the the rope.

"Now!" a scream sounded through the air.

The guards spun and drew their weapons, but it was too late.

Lee and Mina were blurs of metal and cloth (Lee a few steps faster than Mina, not that anyone would ever say so). Even so, they wouldn't have a chance if it weren't for the others with them.

Anne quickly withdrew, grabbed a sword from a fallen guard, and joined the fight with a gleeful shout. The citizens had run immediately (as had several guards) and the criminals greatly outnumbered the surviving lawmen.

It was a fast fight- a few more fell, and the rest ran.

"Good work," Anne said, wiping her blade.

"I told you, we're big girls too!" That was Mina, wringing mud out of her braid.

"That's all very well," said Anne with a wave of her hand, "but we need to get out of here. Now."

"As you say, Majesty," replied Mina (mockingly) and Lee (seriously).

"Let's go."

-:-

The Lord Provost slammed his fist into the table and cursed colorfully. Sir Myles of Olau and Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop watched him from their seats around the table.

"We almost had her," the Provost said despairingly.

"Let me tell ye something," George drawled in his strongest Lower City accent, inciting a glare from the Provost. "If that lass didn't want to be caught, ye couldn't have done it. She wanted somethin'."

"What could she possibly gain from being almost hanged?"

Myles spoke up. "Maybe attention?"

"Attention?" the Provost practically screamed. "Anne Crope has her picture on wanted posters all over the realm! Her accomplices, too. What criminal needs more attention than _that?"_

George's interest was piqued. "Wait, you have pictures?"

"Color sketches."

"Let's see them," Myles said.

The Lord Provost slid a file over to them. George opened the file and dropped a paper on the table. He and Myles stared at the spread for a long moment.

_Strawberry blonde hair cut short to show hazel eyes, sparkling even in the rough sketch. A delicate nose and full smirking lips_. Heavily armed and very dangerous. Anne Crope- Reward- 100 gold nobles.

_Black hair pinned up. Bright blue eyes. A hair ornament crudely shown to be a knife, red lips. _Manipulative. Lee Teco- Reward- 50 gold nobles.

_A dark brown braid with a spiked strap. Green eyes with long lashes. A strong nose and a widow's peak. _Be wary of Gift. Mina Cove- Reward- 50 gold nobles.

"Oh Mithros," Myles voiced.

-:-

"They're alive," croaked King Jonathan of Conté, examining the sketches as Myles and George exchanged glances. Beside him, Thayet was crying. Alanna stood in the corner, gazing hard at the floor and avoiding everyone's eyes. A stoic Duke Baird was beside her, his lips taut.

"Yes."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Thayet wiped her eyes and glared blearily at George. "Go get them!"

"We don't know where they are," said Myles frankly.

"What? Of course you do. You're the spymasters. You know where everyone is!" she said.

George shook his head. "I told you. Aly's the Rogue now. She has her own connections, her own spies."

"What about Lianne and Jessamine?" Thayet demanded. "Surely they can't be that hard to find!"

"They're with Aly," George said.

Jonathan buried his face in his hands. "We're doomed," he muttered.

-:-

Aly did a victory dance when she heard the news.

"They gave up!" she crowed to her girls. "They called off the search!"

"Why would they do that?" asked Jessamine doubtfully.

Aly shrugged. "Maybe they know now, maybe they don't. Who cares? We're free. We can go back to Corus or stay here in Port Caynn or whatever we want!"

Lianne's eyes were glowing and she was smiling the widest of the three. "Free, free, free!" she said. "This is amazing, Anne! I knew you'd come through."

"How ironic," drawled Jessamine. "All those spies and criminals and _traitors_ your father's caught, and he can't even catch his own daughter."

Lianne laughed and Aly smirked. "It's not that ironic. He's the one who taught me! Not that I don't have my own tricks, of course."

"Of course," Lianne and Jessamine echoed with grins.

"Don't worry," Aly added, "we'll go back someday. Someone has to hold it over my da's head that we got away."


End file.
